Kareem of Suitcase has just released Plymouth, a new limited edition print, through Phone Booth Gallery in Long Beach, California, where he has a solo show running until July 5. The 18" x 24" giclée piece is printed on heavy archival Museo cotton rag paper, and is based on an original piece by Kareem in the current show. Only 10 prints were produced — but hurry, as there's currently only 5 left to buy! You'll find it here.

Connie of 100 Applegate is having a fantastic giveaway! One lucky reader will be brightening up her summer wardrobe with this colourful Vintage Brass Turquoise Necklace. Measuring 32 inches long, it'll add instant style to any outfit. For a chance to win, leave a comment on Connie's blog before midnight on July 7 2010. Be sure to visit Simply Defined Design, Connie's gorgeous Etsy shop, for more pretty vintage-inspired jewelry, too!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I am completely charmed by the lovely paper products over at Rifle Paper Co., which specializes in cards, stationery, prints, wedding paper goods and more. Shown here are just a few of my faves — have a look at more here.

Henrietta's pretty summer home is the result of happy childhood memories of living in the surrounding country, going riding and hearing the song of the nightingale. Years passed, and when returned to the area to visit her daughter Cecilie (who was housesitting in the neighborhood) she decided to build a summer home there and return to her roots. The house was designed by architect Jørgen Grumstrup and built by a team of craftsmen who realized Henrietta's dream down to the smallest detail. Inside, Henrietta did all the decorating herself, mixing Swedish folk with more modern pieces. She says, "I wanted to use the furniture that I had inherited, but not to live as my parents did. I wanted the turn of the century with contemporary feel." With other personal touches such as the old wooden beams in the living room ceiling — made from wreckage salvaged by Henrietta from the beach in Skagen — it's a new home that has the relaxed and well lived in feel of an old one. More photos here. Via Sköna hem.

I had a lovely email the other day from Merrick Angle — an English collage illustrator now based in France — about his two beautiful new prints, now available from his etsy shop. Printed with archival inks on thick watercolour paper, each print is one of a limited edition of 50, numbered and signed by the artist. I love these and think they'd make a fantastic gift — either for a friend or for yourself!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Surrealist Muses Who RoaredJoanna Moorehead examines the place of her cousin, Surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, at the heart of a unique — and until now largely unknown — group of European women who in the 1940s and 1950s forged their own vision of Surrealism in Mexico.

Top Five English-Language Bookstores in ParisThese wonderful bookstores would be the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris — browse, pick up a novel or two, and then head off to a café to read and watch the world go by.

A Vintage MenuI find old menus fascinating — they're a glimpse into what people really ate at the time — so I was immediately interested in seeing this 1892 one for the Boston Bakery and Lunchroom (for Ladies and Gents) in Colorado. Love the rules for customers and waiters, too. Via Kottke.

Top 10 Women Travellers in FictionJennie Rooney offers her top 10 picks for the most engaging female adventurers, from Graham Greene's eccentric Aunt Augusta to Alice in Wonderland.

Masterpieces Hidden for 70 YearsExtraordinary art world story in The Independent: "A multi-million pound auction in London last night illuminated, but did not solve, one of the great unsolved mysteries of the art world: what happened to the superlative collection of impressionist and modern art – up to 10,000 works – assembled by the greatest of all 20th-century French collectors and dealers, Ambroise Vollard?"

The Seven Habits of Highly Happy PeopleA helpful list of ideas and/or reminders for living a richer and more positive life. The sort of thing that seems obvious, but is easy to forget when you're busy just trying to keep up with it all.

Saving Time and Stress With Cooking Co-opsCooking co-ops, or dinner swaps, are becoming popular again as people struggle to feed themselves and their families well while dealing with long work hours and busy schedules. Such a great idea.

Water BabiesTotal happy cuteness. Photographer Phil Shaw and his partner Ana Torres set up London Baby Swim Series in 2008, offering classes for parents and babies as young as six weeks old — Ana teaches the classes, while Phil photographs the babies. Afterwards the photos are given the parents as a wonderful keepsake.

These are just a few of the extraordinary pieces in Beautiful/Decay magazine's series on paper artists. All were created by cutting paper into intricate (and highly labour-intensive) works of art. See more of the series (and learn about each artist's work) here.

Sofie and Andreas never even realized that their dream house had always been in front of them — each day they had unknowingly driven past, where it lay obscured behind an overgrown garden. Then one day the garden was cut back and a beautiful 1920s-era house appeared — and Sofie was instantly smitten. Once inside, they discovered that the house was badly run down. The ceilings had been lowered, beams destroyed, and many of the small closets and doors between the rooms were removed or covered over. So they set to work. They moved the main kitchen to the other side of the house, and turned a smaller one into a pantry. The original wooden floors were restored and bleached white. The kitchen floor was too far gone to save and so a new one was put in, treated to look like the original floors. Finally, they furnished their home with vintage items purchased online and at flea markets. Now their beautiful home is once again well loved and well lived in by Sofie, Andreas and their two small children. Via Sköna hem.